An inspection of Ellis Park Stadium by a FIFA and 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) team has been described as "successful", reports the City of Johannesburg on its official site.
The tour of the Johannesburg stadium, one of the venues for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and Confederations Cup 2009 matches, took place recently.
LOC chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, and chief executive, Danny Jordaan, were on the tour, together with experts in competitions, marketing, information technology, media, stadium security and transportation.
Dennis Mumble, the head of the inspection team, said it was the sixth inspection conducted by FIFA and the LOC since construction and refurbishment of World Cup stadiums began.
"This is a regular scheduled inspection that mainly focused on the overall space planning, that is, when and how we are going to utilise any of the stadium's space during the Confederations Cup and the World Cup."
The inspection tour also included discussions with stadium management.
The R81m upgrade of Ellis Park Stadium, earmarked as a semi-final venue for the World Cup, began in September 2007 and is expected to be finished in July 2008.
Following Monday's visit, the team will tour five other 2009 Confederations Cup stadiums - Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Royal Bafokeng in Rustenburg, Free State Stadium in Mangaung, Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium and Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium.
Sibongile Mazibuko, the City's executive director in charge of 2010, said Ellis Park was one of the complex stadiums in Johannesburg, but refurbishments and upgrades in and around the stadium were going well.
"The Ellis Park precinct will move to the usage stage very soon. Construction of transport infrastructure and upgrading of local neighbourhoods is taking shape and we are confident that come 2009, everything will be ready for the Confederations Cup."
A R2bn upgrade of the greater Ellis Park precinct is under way, ahead of the World Cup.
Regeneration is taking the form of a multi-developmental project, with plans focusing on education, sports and manufacturing across Ellis Park and its neighbouring suburbs of Doornfontein, Bertrams, Bezuidenhout Valley, Troyeville, Judith's Paarl and Lorentzville.
The greater Ellis Park precinct is home to three international sports complexes - Johannesburg Stadium, Ellis Park Stadium, and an Olympic-size swimming pool. -Ndaba Dlamini, BuaNews
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